A Bowl of Cooked Rice
by Kali Kamiya
Summary: HoroTamao. When the time comes for HoroHoro to ask a certain question, he's not quite sure if he can do so the modern way. In comes Ainu tradition to help...


AN: My little sister was doing a report on Japan, and I was skimming through her book when I came across the section on Ainu. There was a very interesting passage on proposals, which then created this little one-shot. HoroTamao fluff anyone?

And sorry bout the lack of spirits…they're there…just…I forgot to write them in… ;; Gomen ne.

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It wasn't long after the Shaman Fight that Usui Horokeu and Tamamura Tamao were frequently seen together. It wasn't long until HoroHoro was visiting the kitchen on a regular basis. Not to empty the refrigerator, although that was a side bonus. He was there only to talk to and tease the pink haired prophetess.

And with such visits growing in frequency, it wasn't long until their friendship starting growing to something more.

It started with how Tamao, shy by nature, was never quite able to tell her Master Yoh how she truly felt. She had watched, heartbroken, as her obsession had married another. She was there for the wedding, for the reception, and saw the bride and groom off. The minute the two newlyweds were gone, however, she had retreated to the kitchen and cried.

She'd cried for the past eleven years. The years she'd merely stood in the shadows of Yoh's affections while Anna had the spotlight. The years she'd cheered the Asakura heir on from the sidelines while his coach had been there next to him. The years she'd allowed herself a false hope that perhaps Yoh would look at her for once…and not the golden haired beauty beside him.

It was in this position that HoroHoro found her, not ten minutes after she'd run off. He had come in to raid the refrigerator for leftover wedding cake, but his compassionate nature had made him follow the sound of the hiccups and tears. Instead of frosting, he'd ended up with a sobbing girl on his hands.

With his half-baked wit, self-proclaimed charm, and the offering of friendship, HoroHoro managed to bring Tamao out of her depressed state. There was something that intrigued him about her…perhaps it was merely how different he was compared to the other girls…girl…he knew. Pirika was bossy and stubborn, while Tamao was quiet and reserved. If Pirika was a warrior, Tamao was a damsel in distress. Pirika would fight at the front but Tamao…she was always back, silently and unconsciously begging to be protected.

And HoroHoro knew he wanted to protect her after those tears that fell on Yoh's wedding night.

It was from then on that the two had an almost inseparable relationship. If they weren't in the kitchen, with Horo coaxing some form of conversation out of her, they were out in the fields, Tamao learning what she could about the plant life HoroHoro was growing around the Inn.

The scars left from Yoh were still there, would probably always be there. But each day, each minute spent with HoroHoro was slowly healing her tattered heart. It wasn't just the comforting shoulder that he gave her…but somehow, Horo was stitching those pieces back together with part of himself…giving her something that she'd remember and treasure.

He gave her his love.

It took longer for her to even start to return his feelings. Not only was she just coming out of a one sided relationship, but she was still learning how to love others, since most of her life centered on one boy.

The day Tamao confessed, however, was probably Horo's favorite day ever. Her shy confession was done in her usual subtle manner, a mere murmur as she served him his extra cake for the day. Immediately, she flushed a brilliant shade of pink, reaching from ear to ear, before rushing out the door, back into the safety of the kitchen. HoroHoro's blue eyes had widened as the confession repeated itself in his mind. He sat for a minute, staring at the cake before jumping up and chasing after her.

There she was, sitting next to the refrigerator, near to tears for fear of rejection. Horo merely squatted next to her, taking her into his arms, and resting his head on her shoulder. Stroking her hair in a soothing manner, he whispered in her ear, continuing to hold her tight. "Tamao…don't cry…you'll make my ultra cute face get all pruney…" He paused for a second, considering if that was even a word. "And your cake is gonna get all cold. You know it's never as good as when it's right outta the oven! So what says you to coming back with me for the cake…and some of that Tao's milk."

Despite the tears threatening to roll down her face, Tamao gave a small smile, burying her head in Horo's shirt to avoid her blush. "A…all right…" was the whispered reply.

With an extra large grin, HoroHoro then lifted Tamao into the air bridal style and carried her back to the table, where an impressive strawberry cake sat. The two enjoyed a rather quiet afternoon, eating cake with a noticeable absence from any other housemates.

Said absent housemates were rather busy however. Peeking in through a crack in the door were seven pairs of eyes and a lens. Stacked nearly one on top of the other, the current members of the Asakura household had been watching and taping the entire event; later shown to the new couple.

It was this same video that gave HoroHoro the courage to do what he was about to do. Perhaps it was slightly manipulative, but Tamao wouldn't be mad…she wouldn't be able to say anything due to a certain blush if he did this the modern way anyhow. So it was off to Ainu tradition for a certain tribesman.

Horo found Tamao in the fields, staring out over the flowing sea of flowers. Reds, pinks, and purples were most common this time of year, with just a few drops of yellow splashed in for variety. The sheer beauty of the scene caught his attention, distracting him for a few minutes before he remembered exactly why he was standing looking at flowers and a very shy pink haired girl while holding a bowl of cooked rice in his hands.

He took a few steps, sitting down next to Tamao with the carried bowl of rice on his lap. She jumped, then realized it was only HoroHoro next to her, and continued to look over the flowers with a half-asleep look on her face.

"Enjoying the view?" Horo was rather quiet, still working up the courage to do what he could. It was a stupid thing, in his mind. HoroHoro, Ainu warrior, the ice shaman who took on foes like Tao Ren on a daily basis was afraid to ask the love of his life a simple question. He clutched the bowl tighter as she looked at him, took a deep breath…

And began to eat.

He finished half the bowl with Tamao looking at him strangely. He gulped down the final bit, then handed the bowl to her, along with a pair of chopsticks. Rose colored eyes blinked at him, before the face surrounding blushed, and the prophet accepted the bowl, eating from it slowly as HoroHoro fidgeted in his seat, eyes focused on the chopsticks.

When she finished the other half of the rice, Horo flung himself at her, hugging her tightly. "Yes! Tamao, you sure know how to make a man happy! I can't wait to bring you home with me!"

The blush deepened and Tamao blinked again. "…What?"

A perfect "cat swallowed the canary" grin was on Horo's face. Still huggling his new fiancée, he proceeded to explain, grin never moving. "You see, Tamao, where I come from, you just accepted my proposal."

Her petite body went shock still, eyes widening in surprise, blush turning into a full-fledged lighthouse.

"And now I get to take you home with me! Oh, what a lucky girl you are to get such an extremely handsome guy like me to fall for you! And what a lucky guy I am to have such a great cook fall for the cute me!"

"Um…HoroHoro…"

"And you'll be able to help with the gardening at home too! You'll be good at it! Nowhere near as good as me, but you might get close."

"Horo…"

"And the wedding! We'll hafta have everyone there! All the shamen!"

"Horo…"

"Yea, what is it?"

"…You could have just asked…"

"…Oh…"


End file.
